SHOWSTOPPER: This 1930 L29 Cord exemplifies elegance
December 16, 2017
Posted by Barrett-Jackson
Written by independent automotive journalist Steve Statham
Crossing the block on Saturday, January 20, 2018, as part of the esteemed Salon Collection at the Scottsdale Auction is this 1930 Cord L29 Sport Phaeton (Lot #1382).
[](
Crossing the block on Saturday, January 20, 2018, as part of the esteemed Salon Collection at the Scottsdale Auction is this 1930 Cord L29 Sport Phaeton %28Lot #1382%29.)When it came to innovation and daring, there were few automakers of the 1920s and ’30s that could match Cord. Besides the universally revered styling of the Cord L29, the car was also the first front-wheel-drive American car to enter production when it was introduced in 1929. The powertrain, consisting of a 301ci Lycoming Straight-8, with transmission mounted forward, provided a flat floor and a low stance, characteristics that attracted the attention of the finest coachbuilders of the time.
[](
Crossing the block on Saturday, January 20, 2018, as part of the esteemed Salon Collection at the Scottsdale Auction is this 1930 Cord L29 Sport Phaeton %28Lot #1382%29.)The dark blue [1930 L29 Cord (Lot #1382)](http://
- Crossing the block on Saturday, January 20, 2018, as part of the esteemed Salon Collection at the Scottsdale Auction is this 1930 Cord L29 Sport Phaeton %28Lot #1382%29.
[](
Crossing the block on Saturday, January 20, 2018, as part of the esteemed Salon Collection at the Scottsdale Auction is this 1930 Cord L29 Sport Phaeton %28Lot #1382%29.)Only 4,400 L29s were built in total between 1929 and 1932, and this one is like no other, being a multiple concours award-winner at events such as Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and the Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance.
“The car runs quite well, returning strong performance from the 301ci Straight-8,” the seller states. “This is the only example to wear this beautifully constructed Rollston-style Sport Touring Phaeton body, which looks undoubtedly spectacular atop the finely engineered L29 chassis.”
For up-to-date information on this vehicle, click HERE.